kōrua / koutou

Addressing Two or a Group

Level 1

Kōrua addresses two people; koutou addresses three or more.

How It Works

When greeting or speaking to two people, use kōrua. Use koutou for a larger group. Neither word is a formal version of singular koe.

Keep the distinction when the same group reappears as a possessor or object. The verb itself does not gain a person ending to agree with the pronoun.

Examples (3)

  1. Tēnā kōrua.

    Hello to you two.

  2. Tēnā koutou.

    Hello to you all (three or more).

  3. Kei te haere kōrua.

    You two are going.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

kōrua / koutouLevel 1Addressing Two or a Group

Learn This First

Introduce kōrua for two addressees and koutou for three or more, including their use in greetings. Both exclude the speaker, and neither is a formal substitute for singular koe.